The United Nations has issued a dire warning, stating that the Israeli military's order for over 1.1 million people in northern Gaza to evacuate south is impossible to carry out without causing a devastating humanitarian catastrophe.
The directive, delivered on Friday, gave civilians a 24-hour window to flee ahead of an expected major Israeli ground offensive. The UN has urgently appealed for the order to be rescinded, fearing it could transform an already severe tragedy into a calamitous situation.
An 'Impossible' Demand for a Trapped Population
Lynn Hastings, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Palestinian territories, emphasised the sheer impossibility of the task. "You cannot move 1.1 million people in 24 hours," she stated, highlighting the lack of safe routes, shelter, and essential supplies like food, water, and medicine for those displaced.
The Norwegian Refugee Council's secretary general, Jan Egeland, echoed this sentiment, labelling the order "a catastrophe in the making." He condemned the notion that a population living under a 16-year siege, with no electricity and under heavy bombardment, could be expected to relocate en masse instantly.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The situation on the ground is increasingly desperate. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) is sheltering over 400,000 displaced people in schools and buildings across Gaza. However, these facilities are not safe from the ongoing airstrikes, with several UNRWA schools sustaining direct hits.
The order has created widespread panic and confusion. Roads out of Gaza City are reportedly blocked by rubble from destroyed buildings, and with no electricity and limited fuel, communication is nearly impossible for many.
International Outcry and Warnings
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has joined the chorus of concern, warning that the evacuation mandate could be a "death sentence" for the most vulnerable hospital patients, including those in intensive care and newborns in incubators.
As the international community calls for restraint and the protection of civilians, the world watches with growing alarm. The coming hours are critical, with the potential for a significant ground invasion that threatens to escalate the conflict and the human suffering to unprecedented levels.
